Spring-action clothesline reel



Patented Aug. 22, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 7 2,170,459 SPRING-ACTIONCLOTHESLINE REEL Charles Motkowicz and Joseph Podgorny,

Chicago, 111.

Application June 4, 1938, Serial No. 211,828

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a clothes-line reel.

. The principal objects of this invention are the provision of a smallhand, spring action clothesline reel operated by a crank, and theprovision 5. of a guiding mechanism for the winding of the clothes-linewhich further includes a spring controlled guide roller for guiding andmaintaining the clothes-line taut as it is wound on the reel, the reelconstruction being such that it will ac- 10 commodate a clothes-line ofvarying thickness and even one that is knotted.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of 5construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made withinthe scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the inven- 20 tion.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the spring action 25 clothes-line reel.

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof taken on line 22 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top or end view of the reel.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral I0 denotesgenerally the winding reel, which comprises a metallic U-shaped yoke llpreferably formed of strap-iron having parallel arms l2 of equal length.Secured centrally to the bight portion I3 of the yoke is a handle 35 [4,the means for fastening the handle l4 consisting of a belt or rivet l5extending axially through said handle and an opening [6 formed in saidbight portion.

Between the arms I 2 of the yoke H is posi- 40 tioned the reel or spooll'l rigidly supported on the shaft l8 which is rotatably mounted in thearms l2 in any desired manner. Connected to the shaft I8 is a crank l9having a handle 20 mounted thereon for turning the reel l! in the 45manner readily apparent. The reel I! may be of any desired shape or sizeand is provided with a cylindrical hub 2| of wood or metal havingopposed metallic discs 22 arranged on the ends thereof closely adjacentthe inside faces of 50 the yoke arms l2, see Figure 1, and having adiameter substantially greaterthan the diameter of the hub, the discs 22functioning to hold the rope 23 in place on the hub 2| of the reel asthe same is wound thereon, one end of the rope be- 55 ing suitablysecured to the hub 2|.

In order to facilitate the winding of the rope 23 on the reel l1 and toprovide a proper tension on the rope there is provided at the outer endof the yoke II a'spring pressed guide roller 25. The guide roller 25having flanged ends 26 is freely rotatably mounted for axial movement ona rod 21 carried by a pair of identical bracket elements 28 fixedlysecured to the terminal end portions of the yoke arms l2,- said bracketelements extending laterally beyond each side edge of the yoke arms andarranged at right angles thereto. The rear portion of the bracketelements 28 are each provided with a longitudinal slot 29 arranged inopposed relation, through which slots the terminal end portions of therod 27 project for sliding movement therein in a direction towards andaway from the yoke arms [2 in a manner and for a purpose to behereinafter described.

Fixedly bridging the ends of the yoke arms I2 is a brace and guide bar30, the ends of which extend through the ends of the yoke arms I 2 andbracket elements 28 and are rigidly secured thereto in any desiredmanner. The bar 39 functions not only to brace the yoke arms l2 and tomaintain the same in their parallel relation, but also serves as a guidebar for the rope 23 which passes across and beyond the same.

At the forward end of each bracket element is provided an opening 3! forreceiving the hooked 30 end 32 of a tension coil spring 33, the otherend 34 of. each said coil spring being appropriately formed forconnection to the extending terminal ends of the roller rod 21. Thus,under the action of the coil springs 33 which incidentally are dis- 35posed outwardly of the yoke arms l2, the rod 21 and roller 25 carriedthereby are drawn towards the guide bar 2?, thus maintaining a propertension at all times on the rope 23 which is retained between the guideroller 25 and guide bar 39 in 40 the manner clearly shown in Figures 2and 3.

As the rope 23 is wound on the reel I! by the turning of the crank H, byvirtue of the tautness in the rope between the reel H and guide roller25, the rope will be Wound with the coils 35 tightly in engagement witheach other, the reel thus functioning to obviate undesirable slack inthe winding of the rope. In the winding of the rope, as each coil 35 isformed the rope 23 will impart a corresponding axial movement of theguide roller 25 on the rod 2'! so that the same will always be: inproper relation with respect to the winding operation so as to place thecoils properly in side by side relation. The reel device is readilyoperated by holding the handle M in one hand and turning the crank H]with the other hand.

While the winding reel shown and described is intended for use as aclothes-line reel it is apparent that the same is susceptible of otheruses. For example, the reel is readily adaptable for use as a fish linereel, electric-cord reel and for any other purpose where it is desiredto wind and unwind a flexible rope or cord like element. Hailing thusdescribed our invention we claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent:

1. A winding reel for a rope-like element comprising a yoke, a handle onsaid yoke, a reel rotatably mounted within said yoke, an operating crankconnected to said reel, a guide and brace bar fixed to the outer end ofsaid yoke parallel to the axis of said reel, a guide roller adjacentsaid guide bar, and a rod supporting said guide roller for rotatable andunrestricted axial movement parallel to said guide bar, said yoke beingformed to provide a rectilinear slide bearing for the ends of said rodpermitting movement of said rod towards and away from said guide bar,and spring means arranged exteriorly of said yoke engaging the ends ofsaid rod whereby to urge said guide roller towards said guide bar at alltimes.

2. A winding reel for a rope-like element comprising a yoke havingparallel arms, a reel rotatably mounted between the arms of said yokeand supported thereby, a guide bar fixed to the free ends of said yokearms and parallel to the axis of said reel, a rod parallel to said guidebar supported by the yoke arms for sliding movement in a directiontowards and away from said guide bar, spring means connected to said rodand yoke arms for urging said rod at all times towards said guide bar, aguide roller mounted on said rod for rotatable and axial movementthereon, said rope-like element passing from between said guide rollerand said guide bar to said reel for winding thereon, and including abracket element fixed to the free end of each yoke arms and extendingbeyond the side edges thereof to define forwardly and rearwardlyextending portions, said bracket elements being identical and arrangedin parallel opposed relation, the rear portion of each bracket elementbeing formed with a longitudinally extending slot adapted to receivetherein for sliding movement the terminal ends of said rod which extendoutwardly beyond said bracket elements, said spring means comprising apair of tension coil springs each connected at one end to the terminalend of said rod and at its other end to the forwardly extending portionof an associated bracket element.

CHARLES MOTKOWICZ. JOSEPH PODGORNY.

